


grassroots

by pomme (manta)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Original Character(s), and an excuse to use cute emoji while yelling about yui, includes some yui related, more of a hypothetical side story, very much a daiyui fic, with generous doses of dose and girl char appreciation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-02-17
Packaged: 2018-05-21 07:58:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6044044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manta/pseuds/pomme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by Sendai City's Pageant of Starlight, the town of Torono holds their own winter lights display. In the year leading up to the event, one Michimiya Yui experiences the value of community, loss, and love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	grassroots

**Author's Note:**

> A belated entry for the [Daiyui Countdown](http://daiyuiweek.tumblr.com/)! Sorry for the lateness.
> 
> Important to note that [Karasuno High School is in the town of Torono.](http://mangafox.me/manga/haikyuu/v01/c001/6.html) Until this fic, I always thought Karasuno High School was in, you know, Karasuno. Dx;
> 
> Hearts to  
> a) [Michi](http://michichans.tumblr.com) for all the Yui yelling, headcanon discussions, and arguments over my Hogwarts House Sorting and Daichi's post-Interhigh plans. Bonus for sitting through my rambles on supernovas and great whites eating whale sharks. Her encouragement concerning my writing (and not my cooking, rude) kept me going.  
> b) [ buttface](http://archiveofourown.org/users/buttface), who's not into HQ!! but was very kind when I yelled about why I hadn't finished this fic yet.  
> c) [Jun](http://archiveofourown.org/users/b_minor/), for her constant support. Particularly when I've hit the last leg of the fic writing process, where I threaten to burn everything I write and get emotional about snow plows.

 

The multitude of lights flickered and winked, hinting at secrets they intended to keep.

They clung to the sixty Japanese zelkova trees lining central Sendai's Jouzenji and Aoba Avenues, in a terrestrial Milky Way like the heavens gracing earth. People strolled through the isle that cut through the middle of the road, faces illuminated, while other visitors enjoyed the ice skating rink, light tunnel, and towering Christmas tree offered at Kotodai Park. This was the Pageant of Starlight, a glowing exhibit that ran through the last half of December. Its origins began with citizen-volunteers, who decorated the zelkovas planted in the blackened ground in the wake of the Second World War.

The town of Torono couldn't equal the City of Trees' masterpiece in equal, overwhelming splendor. Nor could the town match larger cities, which had the means to create winter extravaganzas and similar microcosmic universes.

But Torono had its ways.

 

* * *

 

_06 January at 17:24_

 

_Happy new year, residents of Torono!_

_I am Satou Eri, Karasuno High School second year, the Torono Event Committee's Student Representative, and the maintainer of this page. Please take care of me._

_Many of you have heard the exciting rumors, and yes, it's true! This year Torono Town will hold its first winter lights display, from December 17 to December 31. The zelkova trees lining Kagami Avenue and down to Matsu Park will all be decorated with beautiful lights. The road will be closed, so everyone can fully appreciate the sights! In addition, the park will offer warm tents to sit in, hot drinks, and more - all activities suited for the winter._

_As we take pride in one of our resident birds, the crow, we placed much consideration into our motto: "Collide with the sky!"_

_The Event Committee is very excited to breathe life into this project. To do so, we need everyone's help, and we humbly ask for your support in the upcoming months. Please like this page, and follow us for all official news and events._

 

_o(^▽^)o_

 

\--

 

Yui ran a finger down the page of her notebook.

What was that equation her teacher insisted they  _absolutely, certainly,_ _without a doubt_ had to know for the exam? She hadn't forgotten on purpose. Mathematics simply had a tendency to blur together when she had been subjected to it for hours, studied it for many more, and-

As she bent over the next page, a strand of hair swung over her right eye. She impatiently tossed it back with her hand, only for the strands to slide out of her fingers and come up short. _Oh, that's right!_ she realized, and tucked the hair behind her ear instead.

"Yui!" Chizuru stood over her desk, not daring to unbury her own nose from her notebook for even a moment. "Someone's looking for you!"

"Can it wait?" Yui groaned, and turned another page. "I forgot the quadratic formula-"

Chizuru was already heading back to her desk. She called over her shoulder, "It's Sawamura!", before colliding into a third classmate.

Yui upended her notebook as she sprang to her feet.

 

 

Sawamura was waiting in the corridor, bag still slung over his right shoulder. He must have come to her class as soon as he arrived at school, and Yui's interest was further piqued.

"Hey, Michimiya," he greeted her. "Whoa, you cut your hair again!"

"Yeah! Felt more like me," Yui said, and it was the truth. She had grown her hair long for the first two years of high school, but she missed the cool breeze ghosting across her neck, when she could feel the current of a volleyball or an arm that pulled back, how her hair curled the way she liked. By the time the hairdresser pronounced her done, Yui already looked forward to the bike ride home, free of loose flying hair that blew about in the wind.

What Sawamura would think flitted across her mind only briefly. Although that question dissipated with the first snip, her stomach lurched again with his eyes on her. "Like it?"

"It's convenient for volleyball," he said confidently, like that was the most plausible reason she cut her hair.

He wasn't wrong, and Yui stifled a giggle. Figures. She leaned against the wall, matching him. "So, what's up?" 

"Satou talked to me. You know, the girl with glasses in Class 2?" He waited for her to nod. "She's asking all the club presidents and captains if we're interested in helping out with the lights display in December. I told her I knew you, and I'd get back to her. "

"December, huh. We'll be third years, studying for exams." They watched the throng of students milling past, and Yui tapped her chin thoughtfully. "It seems a long way away. But I'll have retired from the club, and I'll only help the kouhai if they ask. So, I can only speak for myself, which is that..." She nodded. "I'll do my best to help!"

To her surprise, he laughed, full and loud. "What?" she asked, panicking. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, no. Nothing like that!" Sawamura collected himself, his hands up in apology. "It's just so like you, Michimiya. Trying to help others, considering everyone's needs first. Satou's like that too, and I don't envy her; she's giving herself a lot of work, helping with the display. And isn't she the art club president?"

"She is. All the more reason to help!" Yui exclaimed. "But what will you tell her, Sawamura? What will _you_ be doing?"

"University exams - but volleyball, too." His jaw set, suddenly making him appear older. Striking, even. "The Spring High's in January and I'm going to play, no matter what."

"I didn't expect any less," Yui said, smiling. "You say Satou works hard. But you're so determined, Sawamura."

"I'm selfish, mostly," he replied. "Last year, when you proposed splitting your gym with the basketball team - I couldn't have done that. At the time I thought, 'That's really like a captain.'"

"N-not true!" Yui protested, flushing pink. "I wasn't even captain then, Sawamura!"

Her heart performed its usual reaction to his crooked grin, which was to crescendo into a skipped beat. "Not yet. But I had a feeling."

 

* * *

 

_20 February at 20:48  
_

 

_As the snow is making sidewalks and roads icy, please be careful and stay warm.  
_

_Coin jars have been distributed to various stores around town. We appreciate all donations, if your heart moves you to give. Everything counts!_

_With the important upcoming events that involve our treasured zelkova trees, we are looking after them as carefully as ever. The task of pruning the branches is entrusted to our town gardeners, but our high school students have volunteered to double check the zelkovas' health. This way, the younger generation can appreciate the zelkovas' natural beauty, and understand the effort invested to make Torono beautiful._

_It was quite the chilly day. You can see how the students are very bundled, but also very pleased. Thanks to them for their hard work (the trees are all fine), and for your continued patronage._

 

_(ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ_

 

\--

 

Kagami Avenue was, fortunately, free of snow on the weekend the trees were due for their health exams.

However, anyone who ventured outside risked losing their words in an upwards fog whenever they spoke, and walked alongside trees in skeletal states that provided no shelter whatsoever. Wearing thick gloves, a beanie obscuring the top sliver of her vision, and a scarf wrapped around her mouth proved it difficult to do anything. But as Yui fumbled with a pen, she admired the vivid yellow of the knitwear protecting her against the stark cold, and her spirits brightened.

"Good thing we only have to check the trees' trunks!" she chirped, peering at the informational papers attached to her pink clipboard. "Climbing up anything would be unsafe in this weather. I think the circle on the paper represents _this_ tree. What do you think, Sawamura?"

She was about to pass the board, but he edged close enough to simply look over her shoulder.

"Looks about right," he said, his words muffled behind his own green scarf.

She and Sawamura were the only volunteers from Karasuno. Naturally, when the city organizer called for the volunteers to organize into twos, they paired up. He arrived surly-faced and yawning, but when Yui wondered aloud why he had come here instead of practicing for the Spring High next month, he muttered something into his scarf about "cold weather building character."

Sawamura squinted at the clipboard, then back at the tree. "An orange trunk? Is that normal?"

"Orange trunks only appear in older trees, whose trunks also tend to peel," she read aloud, and placed her hands on the uneven bark. "Seems pretty peely to me!"

"Japanese zelkovas take about fifty years to reach maturity," he continued reading. "So this one could be as old our parents. Older, even."

"It's been here this whole time, watching us grow up." She laughed. "I wonder if they ever think we're strange. 'What are those trees doing, moving so fast and all the time, always changing things up? What's the point?'"

She gently ran her hands along the wood, feeling the rough grooves, and Sawamura did the same. But while Yui moved onto the next component on the checklist (searching for open wounds that made the tree susceptible to canker diseases), she felt him watching her.

"Hey, Michimiya."

"Hm?" She didn't feel abashed, like the last time he had examined her so carefully; he was less appraising now, more thoughtful.

"Talking about how long these trees can live reminded me of when you asked me what I'd be doing in December. Well, to a zelkova, a year wouldn't be much of stretch. So, about what you're doing after graduation..."

This was the first time they discussed their futures beyond high school, to lives that moved past the ensconcing in a campus, into a scope that was wider and new. Sawamura's question would have seemed probing and academic from someone else. But Yui knew he was asking because, like her, the sense of fleeting time in the face of a state in which it wasn't, had settled upon the both of them.

She answered honestly; he wouldn't think badly of her simplicity. "I try not to think about the future too much. But hopefully, one step closer to being a kindergarten school teacher!"

"Hm. I can see that."

At the affection in his voice, she looked up. "You're going somewhere far, aren't you?"

"I want to study medicine at a national university. Todai, maybe."

"You can do it, Sawamura!" And of that she had no doubt. His face was partly obscured with green cashmere, but she knew his jaw was locked, in the way he did when he set his sights on something.

"You too," he said, with equal firmness. Yui felt like teaching kindergarten school kids not to eat crayons was a less lofty ambition than learning human anatomy, but she knew she couldn't say that aloud. He'd object, and obstinately, so she settled for the agreeableness that settled between them, in the spaces where the snow threatened to fall.

When they finished inspecting their quota of trees, Yui took a deep breath and stepped back. It was hard to imagine the trees glowing with warmth, empty and devoid of life against the backdrop of a grey sky.

"You haven't even left, Sawamura, and I miss you already," she teased. The ache of separation had already taken root in her chest, began its slow throb.

He promptly dropped the clipboard. "Michimiya! Come on, I'm not _dead_ -"

She picked it up and handed it back to him. "Don't worry, it's fine! Because we're not meant to stay in one place. We aren't trees." 

"Good thing we're not. Your hair would be made of... moss. And your eyes..." He chuckled. "I don't know, I'm not poetic like that. Kirin bottles, maybe? The brown kind."

" _Beer bottles_? They're not even organic, Sawamura!"

His smile turned mischievous. "Or would you prefer being compared to a brown tree trunk?"

He winced when she swatted him.

 

* * *

 

 _02 June at 10:13_ _  
_

 

_The Torono Events Committee will participate in the local summer festival on June 17!_

_To celebrate the rice planting season, the festival will host a rice-themed market. We'll be providing more coin jars around the venue, as well as setting up our own booth. Images of the merchandise as well as a flier with more information, are attached. Goods include T-shirts, cell phone charms, fans, hats, pins, and more. And of course, we accept donations, with 100% of the proceeds going to the light display!_

_School clubs - including the Karasuno High School art club, literature club, and cooking club, will also have booths selling food and crafts. They're generously giving a portion of their proceeds for the display as well, so do visit them!  
_

_As the president of the Karasuno art club (rumor has it they're selling amazing watercolors~) and Torono's Student Representative, I'll be at both booths. Please come say hello, stay hydrated, and enjoy the festival!_

 

_ヾ（〃＾∇＾）ﾉ♪_

 

_\--_

 

Yui tried to slip inside as quietly as she could. She even managed to slip off her shoes, and place them in the creaking cabinet without a sound.

"Ah, welcome home!"

But like many mothers, Yui's had a sixth sense where her child was concerned.

"How did the tournament go?" Warm brown eyes (hereditary) searched her daughter's face for a hint.

Yui opened her mouth to rattle off one of the phrases which, over constant repetition, became a subconscious repertoire of automatic responses. After consoling her team and then crying her eyes out in the corridor, she strong-armed herself back into one piece to answer to the rest of them: her club adviser, her junior high friend on the Niiyama team, her best friend and vice captain Mao (who knew how she really felt, but the honest conversations would come later), classmates who didn't know a lick of volleyball but wished Yui the best anyway. She took a deep breath to pull herself together once more.

But the practiced words were static, and her mother's look cut straight to what was playing on the screen.

"Yui?"

"We lost," she said, voice wavering, and immediately escaped to her room. Her mother knew better than to disturb her after that.

Yui checked her messages a final time before she went to sleep. She smiled at the heartfelt messages from her team mates, thanking her for everything. "Don't be sorry. We got to play together," she answered, in response to any further apologies. "Do what feels right to you. You'll make this team stronger with your own strength," she told the worried captain-to-be. She opened the final text, and hated her heart for beating faster.

 

_Sawamura [22:45:31]_

_I'm sorry, Michimiya._

 

"Me too," she sighed into the silence. Not to him, or anyone else. "But that's enough."

She had played volleyball with her team - a dream in itself. But her mind wasn't finished cycling through the loss and processing what happened. A frustration filled her, one that would lose its roughness with time and for now, rubbed her skin raw. 

She set her alarm, turned her phone off, curled around her teddy bear. And she cried herself to sleep, for what she told herself was the last time.

Yui was jolted awake at 6:00 to the chorus of YUI's "CHE.R.RY". Her swollen eyes and heavy limbs didn't make things any easier, as she ate her porridge with salmon and pickles. The thought of doing the same thing she had done for years, this time with the knowledge she didn't have a clear purpose ahead of her, was painful. 

Just the prospect of  _imagining_ her usual morning run felt like the hardest thing she ever had to do.

"Don't forget your jacket, your mother washed it yesterday," a voice murmured from the front doorway. "She'd tell you herself, but she's still snoring away."

"Otou-san! H-how-?" _How did you know I'd be up?_

"You're never down for long, Yui." Her father stepped into his shoes. "I'm going to work. Have a good run."

Yui retrieved the jacket, her legs infinitesimally lighter, and set off. Mao was usually the one knocking at her bedroom door, demanding why she wasn't awake yet. But while Yui doubted herself more often, Mao's blacker moments were rare and more severe; her recovery involved holing up in her room to watch movies. But Yui just needed to be outside, find reassurance that life went on. Her sneakers pounded the pavement as she rounded the corner onto the avenue where the lights display was to take place. The zelkovas lined both sides of the street in lush green, but she didn't notice.

"Yui-chan!" An elderly woman smiled at her from behind a display of melons. "In a hurry, as usual."

Yui started. She was running by the grocery store she had been visiting since she was a child. "Good morning, Itou-san!"

"You have to come by again after your run. The natto I refrigerated should be ready today." She smiled at Yui. "I forget names now, and memories mix together. But I've never forgotten your favorite."

"I can't wait. You're too kind, Itou-san."

"Not at all, not at all." Itou-san's gaze lingered on the neon pink of Yui's jacket. "Umeda-chan from the junior high community volleyball club was on her way to practice. She told me about your match." She reached for Yui's hand, and grasped it tight, her grip calloused and strong. "I'm sorry. It's always tough to try your best, and lose in spite of that."

Itou-san's words didn't contain the weight of a seasoned captain's, like Sawamura's. But they had the experience of age, of something heavier and learned.

"Thank you," Yui said, and they smiled at each other.

Then Itou-san let go, and with it the moment. "All Umeda-chan could talk about were my strawberries and your serves. Her team could use your advice, you know."

"Are they sure?" Yui sighed. "I mean, my team did just lose a match."

"They're sure." Itou-san pressed a ripe peach into Yui's hand. "Take this. I insist. And don't forget to stop by on your way home."

And that was how Yui's feet carried her to the community gym, the familiar squeaks and thuds ringing in her ears much sooner than she expected.

She paused at the entrance, and pulled out her phone. The boys' club would be playing today; she could at least reply to him.

 

_Yui [06:33:17]_

_im fine. focus on your match! karasuno, fight!!!《《o(≧◇≦)o》》_

 

The volleyball community club instantly dropped what they were doing to swarm Yui as soon as she stepped foot in the gym.

"It's Michimiya-senpai!"

"She came! Obaa-san was right!"

"Senpai, we're sorry you lost. But your serves were awesome!"

"Are you the strongest spiker on your team?"

"I love your jacket! Where did you buy it?"

Yui was, frankly, not used to handling this much exuberance from a team; it had been hard enough to persuade her own to merely show up for practice. "Please, one at a time!" she stammered, and the girls glanced as one toward their pockmarked, bob-haired captain.

"Michimiya-senpai!" She bowed her head.

Yui almost bowed back. "Yes!"

"Senpai, where did you get your jacket?"

"U-Uniqlo??? Let's see, two weeks ago... It was on sale for almost 800 yen." She grinned. "A bargain!"

The captain nodded at one of the girls. "Satisfied, Umeda?"

"Yes! Thanks, senpai, captain!"

"Now that's out of the way," the captain said, grinning back at Yui, "can you show us your jump serve, Michimiya-senpai?"

She couldn't refuse, with eight hopeful faces looking at her. "A-ah, sure!"

"Give senpai her space!" the captain ordered.

"Um, you don't have to move _that_ far back!"

Yui weighed the ball in her hands, the worn leather familiar in her palms. It was strange to stand on a volleyball court in her running gear, but the feeling was unexpectedly less excruciating than she thought.

She wasn't Michimiya Yui, forever a disgraced volleyball captain, an expended light with nothing left to burn. She was Michimiya Yui - a little clumsier than she would've liked, a little more compromised with a crush than she'd admit to, generous with her time to a fault, and still a girl with a lot to give. And until she could give again to volleyball in the way she had, she would continue to give in the ways that she could.

" _Collide with the sky!"_

But no one ever had.

Yui slapped her cheeks, and grunted with the renewed sting. The new pain brought a fresh roar of blood into her face, and she welcomed it.

"Watch me!" she told the club members. She tossed the ball into the air - and followed.

 

* * *

 

_27 October at 21:31_

 

_As you can see in the photos, the coin jars have been collected! Their contents were counted by volunteers, and!  
_

_Here's the exciting news. You might want to sit down for this!  
_

_Thanks to the money amassed from the coin jars, festival and merchandise proceeds, and generous donors, we had enough money to purchase the lights..._

_WHICH WE WILL START STRINGING UP TODAY.  
_

_!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

_Our hardworking high school and university students are assigned to this task, but everyone is welcome to come and offer their support! Hot drinks and snacks will be provided by Sakanoshita Store!_

_The display is happening, it's really happening. Everything is coming together... UOHHHHHHH, how exciting!!! Please look forward to it!_

 

 *。ヾ(｡>ｖ<｡)ﾉﾞ*。

 

\--

 

Winter was back in full swing, and the zelkova trees were stripped completely bare of their leaves once again.

Some university students were tasked with driving over the boxes of lights to the park. Tanaka Saeko, the sister of one of the members in the boys' volleyball club, was in charge of the fleet responsible. "We were told to buy lights that were all the same, but we got lights in different colors instead," she said, not sounding in the least bit apologetic.

"Saeko-san," another student volunteer whispered in panic. "The lights are supposed to be matching-"

"Ha! Where's the fun in that?" Saeko didn't even bother to whisper. "The elementary school kids want different colors, and I agree. We're not trying to copy anyone's idea of a good time. So what if we don't match? This is our display!"

Yui's old club was a no-show, but the boys' team arrived as the murder of chattering crows that they were, with their adviser in tow. Shimizu greeted her with a tentative wave; it gave way to a genuine smile when Yui excitedly waved back. Sawamura nodded at her in greeting, but had time to do little else. Busy herding everyone off to the side so as not to block the sidewalk, he appeared surer, firmer around the edges. Perhaps it was the afterglow of winning the prefecture finals, and though Yui wasn't exactly superstitious, the good luck charm she made for the team definitely hadn't hurt their chances. She made a mental note to give Sawamura another one before the national tournament, even if they could only meet for ten minutes in between their hectic schedules.

Hinata brought along his junior high friends as well as his little sister to help. His proposal to bike over with Natsu sitting on his handlebars was instantly rejected by his mother, and she'd driven them over the mountains to drop them off. Hinata's team tried to be less rambunctious for Natsu's sake, "tried" being the imperative word.

Hinata's friends veered toward Kageyama, who they'd met before. He stiffly raised a hand as he watched them approach, but relaxed once Izumi was close enough to clap him on the back and Koji immediately engaged him in volleyball-related conversation. Natsu turned to her brother.

"What's a supernova?" she asked. "I heard the astronomy club talking about it."

"It's, uh... a very bright star!" Hinata looked around, desperate for help. He spied Yui watching, and his eyes brightened. They were on good terms, similar in friendliness and personality, and he asked her about the girls' team when she dropped by the boys' practices. "R-right, senpai?" he asked, simultaneously pleading with Yui to help and not to sully his reputation as a big brother.

Fortunately, Mao had mentioned supernovas in passing while talking about a peculiar horror movie set in space, which involved Leviathan black holes and people inhaling gravity through straws. "That's right!" Yui said, encouragingly. "It's a star that becomes bright, very suddenly, and then goes out."

Hinata nudged his sister. "That good, Natsu?"

Natsu nodded in reply. "Thank you!" she said to Yui, unprompted, and Yui held in the delighted squeal that struggled to come out. She watched the siblings approach the Sakanoshita stand, where Ukai gruffly waved off Natsu's attempts to hand him the coins she fished from her pocket. To her delight, he presented her with the hot can of cocoa for free, only charging her brother for both drinks when Natsu turned her back.

Mao had only come along, "because you wouldn't stop talking about today," she said to Yui. But Mao was chatting with the boys' team's blonde manager, who had tensed up but otherwise showed no inclination to run. They took inventory for the lights, handing the completed boxes to the freckled Karasuno first year and his taller friend to stack.

The Karasuno Literature Club cabinet were having a heart-to-heart with the boys' team's staff adviser. "Of all the clubs, Takeda-sensei, _volleyball_? We could've used another adviser, you know!"

"But Maeda-sensei's very good, isn't she? She's a fantastic teacher," Takeda reminded them. "Volleyball didn't seem the most ideal match at the time, I admit. But I think everything worked out for the best. Uh...." He gestured toward the pile of boxes, where Ennoshita was attempting to direct Kinoshita and Narita out of a knot of lights. "If you'll excuse me, I need to see what's going on over there. My apologies."

Meanwhile, Yui watched Sawamura contending with another problem.

"Oi, Tanaka, Nishinoya!" he yelled up at the two figures up in the trees. "Don't go climbing without using the ladders. It's dangerous."

"You sure about that, Daichi-san?" Tanaka yelled back. "See the trees back there? They're ready to be lit, thanks to us!"

Sawamura did a double take at the line of zelkovas already furnished with lights. "... You finished _all_ of those?"

"Yup. And not so much as a scratch! Awesome, right?" Nishinoya grinned, and he and Tanaka high fived.

Their captain sighed, both exasperated and impressed. "The committee will flip if they catch you clawing your way up the trees. Finish the one you're on. And _then_ ladders."

"Yessir!"

Tanaka and Nishinoya's antics reminded Yui of her own childhood, where she was always yelled at for returning home from play dates with knees scraped to ribbons from rough bark. She was eager to try what they were doing herself, indulge her inner child before sending herself off to university, to see the town from a height. Part of the benefit of being an ex-captain was no longer worrying about keeping up appearances. Not that Yui had ever given off an air of proper respectability, anyway. Or even knew what that entailed.

"Just one tree!" she decided, placing one foot on the trunk.

"Dangerous to do that alone," Sawamura commented from behind her.

Yui almost fell, and she placed her hands on her hips, heart racing. "Says the guy who just let two of his team mates climb trees without a ladder!"

"That's them, though. Don't tell me _you've_ got hidden monkey swinging skills, too."

"Maybe I do!"

"Sorry, Michimiya. I don't buy it. And neither does anyone else who saw you slide almost the whole length of the corridor on a banana peel."

She scowled. "I managed not to fall, didn't I? I don't need protecting, Sawamura!"

His mouth twitched. "I know that all too well. Still." He lugged over a ladder that was propped against a nearby tree, gesturing to it like a game show host revealing a far-fetched contraption. "It'll be like I'm not even here."

"Hmph!" Yui stalked past him to the ladder and started climbing.

"For my own peace of mind, all right?" He took her pout as agreement. "Thanks, Michimiya. I owe you one."

" _Hmph_."

When she was out of reach, Sawamura placed his hands around the ladder's side rails. Yui felt the sensation of something lock into place as he steadied the path upward for her, and the air was suddenly warmer.

Next to them, Azumane and Sugawara were arguing.

"Why am I the one who has to climb the ladder?" Azumane asked.

"You heard the committee obaa-san." Sugawara pulled off an impeccable imitation of a lady thrice his age. 'You, bearded guy! You're a university student, aren't you? String these up as high as you can, you're tall enough to reach the top.'"

Azumane shuddered. "Don't remind me. And for gods' sake, don't  _drop_ me, either!"

"I won't," Suga promised, with complete seriousness. Mollified, Asahi allowed him to place the ladder against another tree, and climbed up the rungs.

"Azumane, look!" Yui called. "Isn't the view beautiful?"

"W-wow. It's really something."

Where she stood revealed a clear view of both ways down the avenue, with the park on one side and the path leading to Karasuno on the other. The trees' bare forms, which she lamented last winter, allowed her to see more on either side. If she squinted, Yui could catch glimpses of a little girl's yellow parka as she waited to cross the road with her mother, even the red of Itou-san's strawberries.

Sugawara spoke loudly enough to catch Azumane's attention. "I think I'll get a drink from the vending machine. Want anything, Asahi, Daichi, Michimiya?"

"Suga!" Azumane protested. "You promised!"

"That I did. But I'm also cold and thirsty." Sugawara shifted his feet as if he were leaving, though his hands remained anchored to the ladder. "Mm, piping hot oolong tea! I can taste it already!" He winked at Yui, who, for all of her emotions pertaining to Sawamura, reminded herself never to mess with one of his best friends.

Sawamura's other best friend was, unfortunately, still atop a ladder. Asahi struggled not to turn around; to him, checking if Sugawara was pulling his leg was the equivalent of giving in. " _Suga_!"

 

* * *

 

_17 December at 19:36_

 

_It's here!! It's here!!!!!!!!_

_**After almost a year, the Torono Lights Display is!!!  ~ HERE ~ !!!!!!!!!!!!!** _

_(I've been instructed to use exclamation points "appropriately", by which I take to mean whenever I'm excited. Which is now! Now until the new year!)_

 

**_Come Visit the Torono Lights Display!_ **

 

_Location: Kagami Avenue to Matsu Park  
_

_Viewing Dates: Dec 17 (Today! It's TODAY!!!!!!) - Dec 31_

_Viewing Times: 7 p.m. - 10 p.m._

 

_Offered activities!_

  * _The main attraction: Kagami Avenue! The road is closed to vehicles, so everyone can enjoy the full effect of the lights._
  * _Follow the illuminated zelkova trees along the avenue to Matsu Park, where there are more beautiful displays. Attempt the winter-themed obstacle course, or enter to win prizes by guessing the number of zelkova trees and lights used. Or marvel at the foil ornaments made by our kindergarten and elementary school students, which reflect the variety of light colors!  
_
  * _The tents will remain open from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Come to warm yourself up, enjoy hot snacks and beverages, or try your hand at fun mini-games!_



_Special events!_

  * _The opening ceremony will take place on Dec 17 (TODAY!!!), at 6 p.m._
  * _On Dec 31 only, the lights will be on from 7 p.m. - 12 a.m. to welcome the new year. Ozone, prepared by the town elders, will be served afterward!  
_



  _Torono is fortunate to have a conscientious community. In response to concerns!_

  * _The lights purchased are LED. More expensive, but more efficient.  
_
  * _To save energy, the lights will be on for 3 hours instead of 5. They will not "wink" hourly, as originally planned._
  * _Turning the lights off early is our chance to see the stars without interference from car lights on the avenue. Karasuno's Astronomy Club will lead the stargazing from 10 p.m. - 11 p.m on weekdays. Chairs will be available to borrow._



_Lastly!_

  * _Here's a photo of me, Satou Eri! (Cute hair bow, right?) I'll be walking around with a sketchpad, recording anything that inspires me. If you find me, I'll draw a little something just for you!_



_This event is perfect for people of all ages, families, and couples! Dress warmly, as snow is forecast for at least half the days the lights display will be open. Please refer to the attached flier for more details._

_Let's enjoy the beautiful lights display up close, and "collide with the sky"!!!!!!_

 

_｡ﾟ✶ฺ.ヽ(*´∀`*)ﾉ.✶ฺﾟ｡_

 

 --

 

The multitude of lights flickered and winked, hinting at secrets they intended to keep.

They clung to the thirty zelkovas that lined Torono's Kagami Avenue, multicolored. People strolled along the road that served as a wide, makeshift pathway, faces illuminated, while other visitors enjoyed the Matsu Park. This was the Torono Lights Display, a glowing exhibit that ran through the last half of December. Its origins began with citizen-volunteers, who dreamed of seeing their town sparkling with winter spirit and nothing more.

The smattering of tourists who came didn't seem very impressed. But this event was for themselves, Yui thought fiercely; this was _theirs_ , home grown and a labor of love.

There was no official pageant, no esteemed speakers to open the lights display. First was a speech by the event committee head, on the value of community, followed by Satou, the student representative. "This event illuminates the way to the future and for us students, to our lives ahead. The lights are stars, coming down to us but for a borrowed instance, before they return to where they belong," she said, and Yui applauded loudly enough to cover Mao's snort.

"One more minute until lights on!" Satou announced, and the crowd tittered in excitement.

"Yui, stop fidgeting," Mao hissed.

"I can't see over everyone!"

"There are thirty trees that're all taller than the tallest person here. You'll see at least one of them."

"Three." The city organizer spoke into the megaphone, and Yui and Mao quieted.

"Two."

"One!"

"OOOH!" Yui cried along with everyone else, as the dark trees were reanimated with light. Each tiny bulb contributed a different hue, resulting in a particularly festive atmosphere when every zelkova appeared a Christmas tree, rather than long rows of suspended, firefly-attracting rods. The thin layer of snow on the ground lent a sedateness, and provided a blank canvas onto which the lights could properly paint their distinctive colors.

The organizer snipped the long red ribbon linked between the first two zelkova trees on the avenue. The crowd applauded, and began to push forward along the road.

Yui offered her crooked arm to Mao, giggling. "Shall we, darling?"

She expected Mao to accept in her dry way, always with the small smile she saved for Yui. But Mao just nudged Yui with her shoulder. "I think there's someone else who wants to go with you," she said, and pushed Yui toward the space the boys' team had just occupied, with two people left in their wake. While Sugawara appeared as unruffled as ever, Sawamura looked distinctly windswept, as if he had been unceremoniously tugged aside while his flock went on without him.

"I can't go with _Sawamura_ ," Yui stage whispered.

"Why not?"

To Yui's confusion, Mao registered her alarm with a calm most unbefitting of the occasion. Yui's best friend seemed rather done for some reason, and Yui added extra emphasis to make it clear just what was wrong. "You know what kind of people walk in pairs through stuff like this? _Couples_."

There was Mao's infamous eyeroll. Definitely done. "Yui. That's the _point_."

"What do you mea-"

The boys' captain and vice captain had made their way over. Or rather, Sugawara made his way over while towing a bemused Sawamura along. "Take a stroll with me, Aihara?" he suggested, in the most casual of tones and firmly ignoring Sawamura's panicked glance.

Mao shrugged. "I guess. But if anyone even  _thinks_ we're adorable, you're walking a block behind me."

He grinned. "My sentiments exactly."

While Sugawara and Mao went on ahead, already arguing over who'd complete the obstacle course fastest, Yui walked in silence. She was all too aware of Sawamura's presence beside her, and he kept his distance as well, wary of coming too close. She didn't like the tension in the air, especially given where they were.

"I looked forward to this aaaaaall year," she sang, figuring that was a safe conversation starter, and twirled about on her toes with her head tilted up to take the view in. She beamed at him. "Everything's so much more beautiful than I imagined!"

"Glad you approve," he chuckled. "Those uncomfortably cold mornings paid off."

"Aw, they weren't that bad! You've put up with worse for volleyball's sake. I mean, summer camp in _Tokyo -_ wasn't it boiling?"

"Turns out playing against really good teams is a great motivator." His face darkened. "Not to mention the thought of wiping a certain captain's smirk off his face when he laughs at you for losing another match."

"You really got fired up, huh!" Yui giggled at the image of Sawamura wearing his most dangerously charming smile, the same expression he wore at the club budget meeting when the student council president slashed the boys' team's requested quota in half. "Tokyo suits you, Sawamura. Todai'll be a great fit."

And as Yui spoke the words, she knew them in her heart to be true. But perhaps she knew them too well, because beside her, Sawamura was sturdy. Sturdy in character, sturdy in habits, sturdy in personality, but never the kind of sturdy meant to stay. She was the one who pointed out they weren't trees, but she'd grown used to his presence and convinced herself they'd have another year, talking to him as much as she could, acting normal while her emotions told her otherwise.

Almost a year had passed since Satou's first Facebook post announcing the lights display, Sawamura was not a tree but a person, love was a horrible feeling if all it did was constrict Yui's chest with the pain, and they wouldn't have another year.

"Michimiya?"

She had stopped walking. He turned to glance curiously back at her, the sight of his frame softened by the myriad of lights casting a muted glow; his eyes on hers while the rest of the crowd faced away, made her heart clench harder.

"Oh, sorry! I got distracted," she managed, trying to laugh it off. "What were you saying?"

"You keep bringing that stuff up. That you'll miss me, that you don't need my protection, Tokyo." He watched her shift her weight from foot to foot, but he wasn't really looking. "Nationals haven't happened yet. We haven't even taken our entrance exams. It's like you're accepting everything because you're saying goodbye."

"Well," and Yui felt herself growing defensive, "we only have three months until graduation, after all! It's natural for anyone to get nostalgic. I bet Azumane's gotten sentimental loads of times!"

"He's tried. It's annoying. But I know where I stand with him, and with Suga. We won't stop being friends when high school ends." He frowned at her brown, white fur trimmed boots. "The problem is, I don't know where I stand with _you_."

"Hm? Why does it matter?"

Genuinely confused, Yui didn't mean for the question to come out the way it did. But Sawamura zeroed in on her face, and she knew she'd hit a nerve.

"Why _doesn't_ it matter?" The groove in between his eyebrows deepened. He was growing testy. "We've known each other longer than I've known Asahi and Suga. Even longer than Ikejiri, because we met in our first class at Izumitate. We're friends too, aren't we? Or you don't see me that way? You made that good luck charm and came to cheer us on, from some captainly obligation?"

"Of course I see you as my friend!" Yui cried. "Of course I do, Sawamura! How can you even think that? It's true!" she added, when his stormy expression didn't relent. "If we weren't friends, I wouldn't chat with you after we discuss club stuff at practices. I wouldn't have made that good luck charm for Karasuno, if I wasn't going to wish with all my might for an hour straight."

At this point, they were at a standstill. Some people in the oncoming grumbled a little, but merely moved around the two human obstacles on the avenue.

Hot tears pricked at Yui's eyes. She'd never imagined having this sort of argument with Sawamura, or even arguing with him in the first place. "If we weren't friends, I wouldn't get excited and drop what I was doing to talk to you when you came to see me,. I wouldn't have to remind myself to breathe, whenever I felt you watching me walk away. My heart wouldn't race until it felt like it'd burst whenever you messaged me-"

"Your heart did what?"

But he heard.

For a wild moment Yui considered backtracking, pretending all of this wasn't tumbling out of her mouth, deny plausibility due to the cold and foreign lights addling her brain. She could finally test out her zelkova climbing skills by seizing a strand of lights and scaling the nearest trunk. But it was too late. "I couldn't hold you back," she finally blurted out, the truth she hadn't admitted even to herself.

"Michimiya." He shook his head in dawning disbelief. "I think you don't realize a lot of people aren't strong like you. I don't crawl out of bed at the buttcrack of dawn, in the thick of winter, for just anyone. And definitely not just for a bunch of trees, but I knew you'd go. I didn't know if I should text you after the girls' team lost and I didn't want to presume, but I had a hunch you wouldn't beat yourself up for long. Sure enough, when I forced myself up for a run the day after  _we_ lost, the girls at the community gym wouldn't stop talking about you."

"Yeah, but those things were what anyone else would have done-!"

"Because that's the sort of person you are. I was jealous of those girls, I gotta admit."

He finally grinned, and  _that_ was when the effect of his words finally hit home.

What came out of Yui's mouth next was a conglomeration of her mouth, brain, and heart all attempting to sync up with the realization that despite her holding herself back, Sawamura Daichi _returned her feelings_. "I-! Sawamura, I'm so! Wh- Whoa. WHOA." She placed her yellow mittens over her cheeks as she registered what was happening. "But. Th-three months. And this! I don't- I don't _know_ -"

He waited for her to peter herself into silence. And then he said, "How about this? The facts are, we have three months until we graduate. You'll miss me, and I'll miss you. But we can see how things are after three months. And maybe if things go well, we won't feel lonely about missing each other when we're apart."

The last sentence sent Yui's heart aflutter again, but she pulled off a small salute. "Sounds reasonable. I accept your terms!" She expected him to smile, but now he was the one shifting from foot to foot.

"So, uh. I was wondering if-" His voice cracked, and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Hm. This was easier in my head. And when I was practicing with Asahi. "I was wondering if... Well." To her surprise, Sawamura's ears were quickly turning bright red. "This restaurant only takes reservations at the beginning of every month. Since then, I've been working up the courage to ask. I actually took to double checking all the locks before I slept, in case Suga sneaked in and murdered me from sheer frustration." He chuckled ruefully. "But I've reserved a table at Yamazaki for Christmas Eve. If you'd like to come with me."

"Is that the restaurant with a natto themed sushi?" She might have asked that too loudly, from the startled looks they were receiving from passers by.

"Yeah, it is." He visibly seemed to relax. "The reviews said it's one of the best dishes Yamazaki offers, too."

"I've wanted to try that place for ages! And you remembered my favorite food. That's so _sweet_ , Sawamura!" Yui took a step closer to reassure him. "Of course I'd love to go with you!" she said, already excited. "After we eat, we can come here again. I wanna check out that obstacle course Mao and Sugawara were talking about!"

"And let's look for the tree decorated only in orange lights. Tanaka and Nishinoya sneaked that one in for team spirit."

"So it's a date!"

"It's a date," he said, exhaling in relief as he briefly glanced away at the surrounding lights, grinning to himself. When he turned his attention back to her, he smiled as fondly as always, but with a candidness that made it even harder to draw breath from the chilly air. "Let's get going. We've blocked this part of the road for long enough."

Yui resumed her twirling, this time near enough to feel the warmth of his arm through his black jacket. "Booked the restaurant before you even asked me out, huh?" She giggled. "Got that much confidence in your game, Sawamura?"

He groaned. "My volleyball game, definitely. _This_ sort of game, not so much."

 

* * *

 

Like a supernova, the lights shone their brightest at the end, before dying out all at once. 

But a hope lingered: that a new star would form, from the remnants of the old.  


 

\--

 

_01 January at 11:26 _

 

_ Happy new year, residents of Torono! (It feels like yesterday when I first wrote those words!) _

_Torono's Lights Display officially ended on December 31 at 24:00. It's an irony, counting down to the new year with a lights out, isn't it? But though other places may not think so, Torono is fortunate. We were blessed with a clear sky to watch the stars as we enjoyed our mochi. The more nocturnal stayed up to watch the first sunrise, and those of us who still had the energy made our first temple visits together!_

_The display represented a joyous center around which our town rallied. It was wonderful to meet all of you, and my sore arms are very worth the 40 pictures I drew for everyone who found me. I was asked, "Where is Eri-chan headed?" I'm aiming for art schools outside of Torono, and I have a lot of feelings about leaving. Many people have expressed interest in another display next year. If this page comes back, it will be run by someone else. How fortunate that individual will be, to be welcomed the way I was. But enough about me.  
_

_Thank you, everyone, for your support. To the donors, visitors, and volunteers, this was all possible because of your efforts. On behalf of the Torono Events Committee, we've treasured the time invested in this event. We hope everyone enjoyed themselves as well, and will carry away fond memories they'll treasure in their hearts.  
_

_And with this message, I've also finished my work._

_All of our heartfelt gratitude._

 

_♡〜٩( ˃́▿˂̀ )۶〜♡_

 

\--

 

The page's final cover photo was this:  


A colored sketch, dated the twenty fourth of December. Spiderweb-thin pencil lines rendered a snapshot of the rain slicked streets bordered with glowing trees, the pavement taking on the properties of glass. True to Kagami Avenue's name, the road mirrored the blurred color of the artificial lights, and then upward to reflect the genuine ones that watched over the town from the night sky.

A couple stood in sharp focus, huddled together in the middle of the street at the dashed white line. Most of the her short hair was tucked into the yellow, pompom-ed beanie perched on her head. His dark green scarf was tied behind his head in a neat bow, no doubt her doing.  


He kept one arm wrapped around her waist, and she leaned on his shoulder.  


 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This whole thing happened because Christmas Eve in Japan echoes Valentine's Day and I wanted an excuse to write winter Daiyuis. 
> 
> [Yui's alarm song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh9Vwj1MgtE/). The [lyrics](http://www.kiwi-musume.com/lyrics/yui/cantbuymylove/cherry.html).
> 
> I'm very fond of the HQ!! females, so I tried to include as many as I could! Inspiration for the FB-esque page format was taken from the Sendai Pageant of Starlight's official page. The park is named "Matsu" (Pine), as crows apparently like coniferous trees; the avenue is named "Kagami" (Mirror) to show Daiyui's relationship in the last scene.
> 
> I spent a straight week on this and I will go lie down now. Hope you liked!


End file.
